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Thursday, June 22, 2017

22 June - Blogs I'm Following 2 of 2

A Tory election promise to “dismantle” the work capability assessment (WCA) through new legislation appears to have been abandoned, with the Queen’s speech containing no mention of any new social security bill. The speech contains brief details of all planned legislation over the next two years – rather than the usual 12 months – so [...]

A Conservative election promise to tackle some of the discrimination faced by disabled people appears to have been abandoned, with no mention of the pledge in yesterday’s Queen’s speech. The manifesto promise to “review disabled people’s access and amend regulations if necessary to improve disabled access to licensed premises, parking and housing” was absent from [...]

The government has confirmed in the Queen’s speech that it plans to consult on its proposals to address the funding crisis affecting older people’s social care, but has again failed to make any mention of the needs of working-age disabled people. Conservative plans for the funding of social care for older people – particularly on [...]

A coroner has declined to explain why he failed to take evidence on the apparent links between the government’s “fitness for work” test and the death of a disabled north London man. An inquest into the death of 56-year-old Lawrence Bond (pictured), held on Friday, was expected to hear details of how he was found [...]

A disabled woman left to sit in her own urine for two hours by a physiotherapist who was assessing her benefit claim has had her benefits slashed, after the assessor wrote a report she believes is full of “lies”. Disabled people were outraged last week after Maria Lane described the “inhuman” experience she endured during [...]

One of the two disabled Labour MPs elected to parliament for the first time earlier this month is a former campaigns officer for the British Council of Disabled People (BCODP), it has emerged. Jared O’Mara (pictured, centre) caused one of the shocks of the general election when he ousted the Liberal Democrat former deputy prime [...]

The agencies involved in supporting a disabled man who was imprisoned and tortured to death should have been aware of the risks posed by the people he was living with, according to an independent report. The author of the serious case review, a former deputy chief constable, also suggests that the brutal murder of 24-year-old [...]

A new research centre that plans to create a centre for “disability expertise” on the Olympic Park – as part of the London 2012 Paralympics legacy – has faced questions about its commitment to collaborating with local disabled people’s organisations (DPOs). The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDIH) wants to spread innovative ideas across inclusive design, [...]

A council will have to carry out an audit of disability access at every one of its polling stations, after agreeing to pay compensation to a wheelchair-user who was prevented from voting at elections in 2014. Adam Lotun (pictured) said the settlement showed that Kingston council in south-west London regarded disabled people as “second-class citizens”. [...]

The Cabinet Office has defended the diversity of the UK honours system, despite the latest disability-related recipients being dominated by special school teachers and other professionals recognised for providing services to disabled people. The Queen’s birthday honours list, announced this week, includes MBEs, OBEs and CBEs for at least 10 people for their work in [...]

* This is my paper in BusinessWorld last Wednesday. The Philippines’ mining potential is inversely proportional to government mining policies. Until about two years ago, the debate was on how much tax hike would be imposed on mining. Then early this year, the debate shifted to outright suspension and cancellation of operations by many mining companies. After the Commission on Appointments rejection of Ms. Gina Lopez as DENR secretary last May 3, the uncertainties have greatly subsided and certain sectors are reviving the old debate -- how much tax increases to impose on big mining...more »

*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * If the Cold War went hot... *The Chieftain was an evolution of the Centurion tank, which had appeared at the end of World War II. Chieftain had considerably better armor than the Centurion and an improved engine. What really stood the tank apart from its contemporaries, however, was the 120mm main gun. The L11A5 rifled gun was much larger and more powerful than the 105mm gun equipping American M60 tanks and 115mm gun equipping Soviet T-62 tanks.* *The Chieftain served with British forces, including the 1st Armored Division. Part of the British Army ...more »

*THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017What Pelosi actually said/Watching Medicaid grow:* Everyone knows it! The Republican health care bill would cut Medicaid badly. Everyone knows it until they read front-page reports in the New York Times. Yesterday morning, Robert Pear's front-page report started off like this: PEAR AND STEINHAUER (6/21/17): A growing rift among Senate Republicans over federal spending on Medicaid and the opioid epidemic is imperiling legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act that Senate leaders are trying to put to a vote by the end of next week. President Trump had urg...more »

A Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA is launched in February from the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones during a flight test off Hawaii resulting in the first intercept of a ballistic missile target by the Block IIA, which is being developed jointly by the US and Japan *Defense News:* *US Navy ballistic missile intercept test fails* WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy conducted a failed ballistic missile intercept Wednesday with its SM-3 Block IIA off the coast of Hawaii. The destroyer John Paul Jones, running the Navy’s top-of-the-line Aegis Baseline 9.C2 combat system, failed...more »

*Alex Pietrowski* - Why do so many attempt to drown out the world with booze? The post Leading Addiction Expert Talks about the Roots of Alcoholism, Our Favorite Spiritual Disease appeared first on Waking Times.

South Korea's new President, Moon Jae-in, said he would permanently end operations at the Kori-1 reactor (that went online in 1978) as a first step toward a "nuclear-free state" ("Seoul Powers Down Nuclear-Plant Sector" WSJ 6/20/2017, A9). This important news was buried on page 9 in a very short article in the WSJ. I didn't even see mention of the story in the New York Times and Washington Post, although a quick search reveals more coverage: Jane Chung and Richard Pullin (2017, June 19). South Korea's President Moon says plans to exit nuclear power. Reuters, https://www.reuters.co...more »

------------------------------ *Another Step Toward Devastating War* ------------------------------ June 19, 2017 | Categories: Articles & Columns | Another Step Toward Devastating War Paul Craig Roberts An idiot American pilot shot down a Syrian fighter that was attacking ISIS, thus confirming that Washington is not fighting ISIS, as Washington claims, but is protecting ISIS, its agent sent to Syria by Obama and Hillary to overthrow the Syrian government. General Michael Flynn revealed on a TV interview that Obama and Hillary had, over his objection as director of the Defense In...more »

*Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin* *braves heavy rain to honour war heros* How quickly the flea-brained Western media shifts its brief focus from one "crisis" to another. Last week it was all about Qatar. A lot of fake media bloviating was spent on Saudi Arabia and its gulf allies turning on tiny (but immensely rich with gas/oil reserves) Qatar. Even for manufactured "crisis" this one was done and gone in the blink of an eye. US nominal leader Trump came out in support of the Saudi vendetta on Qatar and then, 24 hours later, he was backtracking...belatedly remembering...more »

*(Click to see original tweet.)* *by Gaius Publius* "Change cannot occur if the displaced ruling class is left intact after a revolution against them. We have proof of this throughout South America. Every revolution by the indigenous people has left unmolested the Spanish ruling class, and every revolution has been overthrown[.]" —Paul Craig Roberts, quoted here Read the quote in the graphic above again. Insider Party consultants made millions off of Jon Ossoff's loss. Would those insiders take an Ossoff win if it meant no money for them? These people, Democratic Party elites, are ...more »

One week ago, the world lost Dr. Joe DiMatteo, an extraordinary holistic doctor. His death was NOT suspicious, he died of complications due to surgery, but we mourn him none the less. A message from his website: “It is with extraordinary grief that we must announce the loss of our founder, mentor and beloved friend, Dr.

A new report by the Canadian Cancer Society has predicted that almost one in every two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and one in four Canadians will die from the disease. RELATED ARTICLES: Preventing and Reversing Cancer Naturally: The Anticancer Diet Shopping List The Effective Anti-Cancer ‘Trick’ Many People Ignore In their

By Parinaz Samimi Smile lines, crow’s feet, dark circles, and undereye bags: these are all just inevitable signs of aging, right? In some ways, yes. Plenty of skin remedies seek to hide the signs of aging and promote healthy, youthful skin, but they only do so much. You can’t turn back the clock, but you

Did you know that our sense of smell is the only sense directly tied to the limbic area of the brain, which is considered the emotional control center? This means that when essential oils are inhaled, they go directly to the brain. Our other four senses — taste, sight, touch, and hearing — are first

By Paul Homewood http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40353118 It has certainly been uncommonly hot these past few days. Many outlets have talked about a “record breaking” heatwave, such as this report in the Telegraph. This is a grossly misleading claim, because it relates to a record temperature for a single day, in this case June 21st. There are, […]

So you guys might remember that on Tuesday I posted a story about John Oliver's brilliant take on Donald Trump's inability to actually bring back coal jobs. Part of that show also featured references to "Coal King" Bob Murray, a close friend of Donald Trump's, who threatened to sue Oliver if he included him in the segment. Of course Oliver did just that, and even mocked a story told about Murray that suggests he once had a conversation with a talking squirrel. "Welcome, welcome, welcome to Last Week To-nut, I'm Mr. Nutterbutter. Just time for a quick recap of the week..." pic.twit...more »

*THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017Part 3—Cable star praises herself:* Yay yay yay yay yay! Last night, we received the latest tale of the heroism being performed by an unnamed cable news star. The heroism was described by the cable star herself. The report came near the end of her cable news program. Heroism is in short supply in these final days. For that reason, we'll post the full text of the star's report, her third on this silly faux topic. As you may know, the star has been chasing some shifty behavior by Vice President Pence. Her work has been drenched in insinuation, innuendo and...more »

*Vic Bishop* - You can feel the gravity of their mental anguish by looking at their faces. The post Watch – War Veterans Describe What it’s Like to Kill Someone in Combat appeared first on Waking Times.

[image: obamacare-death-spiral-continues-as-anthem-to-leave-exchanges-in-several-states] Yet another health insurance company has announced that it will be leaving the ObamaCare exchanges in two states, citing market uncertainty. This is just the latest announcement in a trend that experts claim will ultimately result in the national collapse of ObamaCare.

It is only too evident that the US' plan for Syria is to break it down, partition it. The post Turkish military expert CONFIRMS: “US plan for Syria is to break it down, partition it” appeared first on The Duran.

*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * The Cuban Missile Crisis could have gone very different. *Next time you think of the Cuban Missile Crisis, don’t think first of Kennedy brooding over his options in Washington. Think instead of dehydrated, harassed men trapped in a fragile metal box under the surface of the ocean, trying to decide whether or not to go down in a blaze of radioactive glory.* It is commonly accepted that the world has never come closer to nuclear war than during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the United States confronted Soviet Union over its deployment of ballistic...more »

*Human Rights Watch:* *Yemen: UAE Backs Abusive Local Forces* *Resolve ‘Disappearances’, Grant Access to Detention Sites* The UAE supports Yemeni forces that have arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, tortured, and abused dozens of people during security operations, Human Rights Watch said today. The UAE finances, arms, and trains these forces, which ostensibly are going after Yemeni branches of Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (also known as ISIS). The UAE also runs at least two informal detention facilities, and its officials appear to have ordered the continued detention of ...more »

*The Guardian*: *Destroying Great Mosque of al-Nuri 'is Isis declaring defeat'* *Iraqi PM denounces levelling of Mosul building where Islamic State leader declared a caliphate three years ago* The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, has said the destruction of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul is an admission by the militants that they are losing the fight for the country’s second-largest city. One of Islam’s most venerated sites, the mosque has been destroyed by explosions as Iraqi forces battled Islamic State fighters who had holed up nearby. *Read more* .... *MIDDLE ...more »

Elder of Ziyon has a fascinating report on people visiting The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, 'In the past 24 hours, according to Arab media, 38 Jews visited the Temple Mount. This is, of course, terrible. How can Jews peacefully visit their holiest site? Clearly it is a violation of Muslim rights. Also in the past 24 hours, according to the same Islamic Waqf that zealously counts every Jew, some 300,000 Muslims visited the same site. Yet the Muslims complain about restrictions to their freedom of religion.' Fascinating and the sort of imbalance in figures that the BBC should be in...more »

(Baghdad Post) (Ninewa Media Center) As the battle for Mosul comes to a close the Islamic State destroyedthe iconic Nouri Mosque and al-Hadbaa Minaret. IS blew up the historic site, while claiming that an American airstrike was responsible. The destruction of the mosque was due to the rapid advance of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), which were said to be only meters away. The Federal Police were movingfrom the south on Bab al-Jadid and Ras al-Jada. The Golden Division and the army’s 16th Division were in the northwest in Farouq. The Rapid Reaction Division was coming down from Sh...more »

Mike Smithson at Political Betting has a great article that includes the above chart. 'There’s one group of voters that traditionally the Tories have been able to regard as bankers – the oldies, those in the growing 65+ age segment. ... My analysis of that, reflected in the chart above, finds that the PM is struggling to hold onto to the oldies. The chart numbers are based on subtracting those who have an unfavourable view of TMay from those who have a favourable one. As is shown she had been doing extremely well with the 65+ group with huge favourability margins. In the late...more »

A journal has retracted two 2014 papers after the editors discovered the authors used data from other research groups without permission. The papers, both published in the same issue of Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics and retracted in May, suffered from similar issues—the authors published data that was not theirs. The authors are all based at […] The post Journal retracts two papers by authors who lifted others’ data appeared first on Retraction Watch.

*and we thank them both.* Like him or not, Sean is quickly becoming the voice of conservatives. He takes a good hard look at Rachel Maddow and her conspiracy theories. I will admit to have never watched her show and as a result had no idea of how nuts she is. And her fans call Alex Jones nuts? Newt: "I hope they keep Nancy (Pelosi) right where she is for the next ten years." Take heart - we're winning. Checking in with my bellwether libtards on Facecrap tells me all I need to know. Not one peep about Steve Scalise being shot. And never a peep about any muslim attack on innoc...more »

A mathematics journal has withdrawn a paper after discovering that the results were not new. The paper, published online in March in Communications in Algebra, explored the properties of group rings, a discipline of algebra. According to editor-in-chief of the journal, Jason Bell, author Francis E. A. Johnson, a professor of mathematics at the University […] The post No new math: Journal pulls math paper with “already known” results appeared first on Retraction Watch.

While at the UNAC national anti-war conference last weekend in Richmond, Virginia. Thanks to Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Will Griffin at The Peace Report for making the video available in this format.

Courtesy of the AP: *President. Candidate. Businessman. Three of President Donald Trump’s roles converge next week as he holds his first major re-election fundraiser at his hotel in Washington. * *Trump officially kicked off his re-election campaign on Inauguration Day by filing Federal Election Commission paperwork, making it the earliest such effort by a sitting president. * *It’s paying off: The campaign raised more than $7 million by the end of March from appeals to small donors and the sale of merchandise such as the ubiquitous red “Make America Great Again” ball caps. * *T...more »

*The Drive*: *Missile Laden Su-27 Gets Between NATO F-16 And Russian Defense Minister's Jet* *The intercept is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat interactions that are only likely to increase in the coming months.* An F-16 Viper has intercepted a Russian aircraft carrying the country’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, briefly escorting the Tu-154 VIP plane as it flew over the Baltic Sea. Soon after, a fully armed Su-27 Flanker zoom in and appeared to warn off the NATO fighter jet. The incident follows a significant uptick in aerial incidents in the region amid a flurry of milit...more »

*Dave Majumdar* *Security, Europe* It would take nearly 21 years to replace Russia’s 2500 operational tanks with T-14s. That’s if the Kremlin has the financial wherewithal to buy that many Armata tanks—which is somewhat dubious. *Even if the Armata was as dangerous as the British report claims, Russia is not likely to be able to afford the expensive new machine in the huge quantities. Using the British reports own numbers—120 Armata tanks produced per year—CNA Corporation research scientist Mike Kofman, a prominent Russian military affairs expert in Washington, noted it would tak...more »

Thank you for competing with OPEC and Russia, US shale oil capitalism. I hope we can go back to below $40/barrel again. "The resurgence of U.S. shale is already complicating OPEC’s efforts to draw down global stocks in 2017, as well as threatening its market share in 2018. OPEC now predicts U.S. oil production will increase by 800,000 bpd in 2017, compared with a projected decline of 150,000 bpd at the time of its December forecast (“Monthly Oil Market Report”, OPEC, June 2017)." http://www.reuters.com/art.../us-oil-opec-kemp-idUSKBN196037 "Thanks largely to the domestic hydraulic...more »

[image: calling-transgender-student-wrong-pronoun-could-trigger-federal-investigation] An Education Department memo says the department will now investigate schools for failing to refer to transgender students by their "preferred name or pronoun," and the memo could be used to reinstate Obama's bathroom policy.

Review by Rick Sterling of book by attorney Dan Kovalik of how the CIA and Deep State have Conspired to Vilify Russia by Russigate scandal. The post The Plot to Scapegoat Russia (Book Review) appeared first on The Duran.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (4: 18 P.M.) – Syrian rebels in southern province of Daraa have reportedly concluded a reconciliation agreement following weeks of fierce fighting. According to the pan-Arabist satellite television channel, Al-Mayadeen, a meeting – brokered by Russia – was held yesterday last night between Syrian officials and representatives of the rebel groups in the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:25 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched an important offensive in the western countryside of the Al-Raqqa Governorate, today, targeting the Islamic State’s (ISIL) last positions along the Ithriya-Raqqa Highway. Led by their elite Tiger Forces, the Syrian Arab Army attacked the Islamic State’s positions along the Ithriya-Raqqa Highway, inflicting heavy […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (1: 45 P.M.) – The Syrian Army troops continue to grab more territories east of the ancient city of Palmyra as part of a large-scale offensive to reach the embattled city of Deir Ezzor. Backed by paramilitary fighters and heavy Russian aerial bombardment, the government forces almost regained full control of al-Hail gas […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

*New York Times*: *A Dumb Decision’: U.S. Said to Waste $28 Million on Afghan Army Camouflage* The United States spent up to $28 million more than it had to on camouflage uniforms for the Afghan National Army because of the sartorial tastes of a single Afghan official, an American government watchdog said on Wednesday. A report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that the Pentagon needlessly spent millions to license a proprietary camouflage pattern that replicates lush forests. Most of Afghanistan’s landscape, however, is desert, and the Defense ...more »

Let's open this posting by looking at a three recent tweets from Donald Trump: During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017 So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017 ...extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrori...more »

From Jenna Orkin Ron Paul Interviews Snowden On The "Rise Of The Deep State" Records Of 198 Million US Voters "Accidentally" Exposed By RNC Contractor Study: Tesla car battery production releases as much CO2 as 8 years of driving on petrol Stephen Hawking: 'I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth' Police taser man for threatening people with a shoe horn outside Regents Park mosque The tick that makes people allergic to red meat with one bite seems to be spreading US commerce secretary: We're in trade talks with Asian nations to replace TPP Saudi king upends royal succes...more »

*Eli Lake, Bloomberg:* *How Trump's Afghan Policy Is Different From Obama's* *A new approach would aim to empower the government without telegraphing a withdrawal date for U.S. troops.* Every disclosure about the Trump administration's forthcoming Afghanistan strategy triggers a chorus like a Passover seder: Why is this strategy different from all other strategies? The goal is the same. Like President Barack Obama's initial Afghanistan surge, the objective for Trump's strategy is to force the Taliban into peace talks and to push for a negotiated settlement to the conflict on term...more »

Everyone thought the Senate would get their hands on the really radical, really destructive-- and really hated-- House Republican “healthcare” bill, TrumpCare, crafted by Paul Ryan and Tom Price and bastardized by Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows and rogue Tuesday Group opportunist Tom MacArthur, and turn it into something more palatable and more mainstream. Why did anyone think that-- with people like Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz driving the show? Instead, if the *Washington Post*’s leaked report of what the Senate Republicans have come up with is to be believed, ...more »

We know that McConnell/Ryan/Trumpcare is going to be horrible: The tax credits for people who buy insurance on the exchanges are ... stingier than the current system. Right now, Obamacare’s tax credits cut off for people who earn four times the poverty level, which means people just over that threshold often struggle to afford insurance. Rather than fix this problem, the Senate bill would set the cutoff even lower, to three-and-a-half times the poverty level, making insurance unaffordable for more people in the middle class. Amazingly, the Senate bill reportedly institutes deeper Me...more »

*This School District Partners With LGBT Advocacy Group to Impose Transgender Policy* HOPEWELL, N.J.—Freshmen football players, changing in their high school locker room at the beginning of the school year, were startled to encounter a girl who said she identifies as a boy. The father of one of the players wrote to the school’s principal and athletic director to express concern about the “young lady” and the “comfort” of the boys, most of whom were 14 at the time and “wondering what was going on.” “I think you are doing a disservice to the kids by not having at least a casual c...more »

This and that for your Thursday reading. - Alex Collinson discusses how insecure work makes it impossible to reliably structure an individual's life: Many respondents told us about how difficult it is to budget without knowing how much you’ll be earning from one week to the next. *The number of hours we are given every week changes, which sometimes makes it difficult to make ends meet.* Concerns about bills and budgets causes sleepless nights. These concerns also force those in insecure work to take any shift they’re offered, regardless of the personal impact. *It isn’t steady and...more »

By John Rafuse President Trump’s budget guidance sought to cut $1.6 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $8.1 billion expectation. Shrieks of looming Armageddon prompted Congress to fund the EPA in full until September 2017, when the battle will be joined again. Then EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said he would prioritize Superfund cleanups based […]

Donald Trump is coming to Canada next May to attend the G7 Conference. He should not be invited to extend his stay or to come back. Bob Hepburn writes : Over the years, American presidents have visited Canada numerous times. Barack Obama came twice, first in 2009 for a working visit to Ottawa and then in 2010 when he was in Toronto and Huntsville for the G8 and G20 summits. George W. Bush visited four times and Bill Clinton came five times, including a 2005 state visit during which he addressed Parliament. But Trump is a special exception: But none of those presidents were as irr...more »

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the USA Today article entitled, “Coconut oil isn’t healthy. It’s never been healthy”. Fear-mongering, attention-grabbing headlines certainly sell copy, but do not make for evidence-informed, high-quality science reporting. As I expressed in my recent post on social media, “The internet is full of erroneous claims. Science writers who forgo

By Dr. Mercola When it comes to mental health, most assume the brain is in charge. In reality, your gut may be calling the shots. Interestingly enough, in the 1800s and early 1900s, it was thought that waste in your colon could produce infections that lead to depression. As it turns out, they weren’t too

Kids are stimulated by new experiences. So are pigs. If you watched the 2014 video where a camera falls out of a plane and crashes into a pig sty you saw how intrigued they were by it, even though it clearly was not food. A new study says that such "consumerism", a preference for shiny new stuff, is universal across the animal kingdom. And they showed it in piglets. read more

*Sebastien Roblin* *Russia, * In 1992, this actually happenned. *How did this accident even happen? Some articles in the press characterized the subs as having been involved in a cat-and-mouse game that had gone too far. Indeed, such games were common between the attack submarines of rival nations, and had resulted in collisions in the past.* *However, that account remains unlikely because a submarine can only play a cat-and-mouse game if it is able to detect the other ship. And in the shallow waters off of Kildin Island, it is unlikely either vessel could.* It’s tempting to th...more »

*Solar Power Stops Working Well When It’s Hot Outside* Don’t expect recent heat waves hitting the southwest to make solar panels produce more energy, according to an industry representative. High temperatures decrease a photovoltaic solar cell’s output by between 10 and 25 percent, Stuart Fox, a vice president at the green energy company CivicSolar, told The San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday. Research indicates that a solar panel’s power output drops by 1.1 percent for every 1.8 degree rise in temperature above 107 degrees Fahrenheit, and solar panels can get much hotter than that...more »

Here, on how a misguided war against "red tape" contributed to the deaths of dozens in the Grenfell Tower fire - and how we're at risk of becoming casualties as well. For further reading... - Details about the UK's obsession with red tape can be found in archives including the home page and housing and construction page. - The Telegraph offers a summary of the Grenfell Tower fire. Robert Booth and Calla Wahlquist report on the safety concerns which had been brushed off for five years, while Samuel Osborne highlighted how two women who attempted to call attention to fire safety were ...more »

Former MI6 Chief John Sawers *AFP*: *US declining role the biggest threat to global security, says ex-spy chief* Jerusalem (AFP) - A former head of Britain's foreign intelligence agency told an Israeli security conference Wednesday that the United States' declining world role under President Donald Trump is today's greatest menace. "The biggest threat the world faces is how we all adjust to the progressive withdrawal of responsible American leadership and the network of alliances that America maintained with Europe, with Asian countries and the pattern of alliances and partnershi...more »

Courtesy of Law Newz: *In the aftermath of Officer Jeronimo Yanez‘s acquittal after fatally shooting Philando Castile, new material related to the case continues to be released. * *Just this morning, Tony Webster, an independent journalist and researcher from Minnesota, provided video obtained via a FOIA request of Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, in the back of a squad car with her four-year-old daughter in the immediate moments after Castile was gunned down. * *The video is harrowing, hard to watch, and contains strong language. Reynolds can be heard screaming, at which...more »

*== The New “Voter Fraud” Commission ==* As usual, Democrats are right to complain… and they are doing it all wrong. President Trump declared a commission aimed at justifying his unfounded voter fraud claims. (“Millions cast illegal ballots, giving Hillary Clinton her huge popular vote margin.”) But instead of appointing a blue-ribbon, bipartisan committee of nationally respected sages, the commission will be spearheaded by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, often tied to white nationalists.

The death of a common thief from the US who was imprisoned in North Korea, should not be used to justify any militant US policy towards Pyongyang. The post John Birch Society foreign policy meets leftist big government in today’s USA appeared first on The Duran.

*Kris Osborn* *Security, * Could a new radar make a difference? *The new radar, called the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar is slated to go on the now-under-construction USS Kennedy (CVN 79), as well as several of the services’ amphibs.* The Navy plans to test and operate a new, highly-sensitive ship-defense radar technology on its 2nd Ford-Class aircraft carrier -- to detect incoming enemy fire, anti-ship cruise missiles and airborne threats such as attacking drones, fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. The new radar, called the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, or EASR, is ...more »

We just need to keep up the enthusiasm, remind people of what is at stake, and perhaps we can accomplish in 2018 what the Republicans were able to accomplish in 2010. (H/T to the Democratic Underground.)

Photo Credit: PerezHilton.com What fun to see Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and her husband Donnie at the Generation Rescue fund raising concert earlier this week featured on Perez Hilton! EXCLUSIVE! Donnie Wahlberg, Jenny McCarthy, & Some Old Friends Put On An...

NOTE: Thank you to Mary Holland for sharing this critically important information regarding burden of proof of vaccine injury in the European Union. Court of Justice of the European Union PRESS RELEASE No 66/2017 Luxembourg, 21 June 2017 Where there...

Stone approached Putin in the same way Buchanan approached Nixon during his famous 1982 interview. The results are that both men opened up to the wider world and all but the most fanatical dogmatists can see it. The post Oliver Stone did with Putin what in 1982 Pat Buchanan did with Nixon appeared first on The Duran.

Michael Bloomberg predicts President Trump will win re-election in 2020. The post Michael Bloomberg says ‘Hillary Clinton’s campaign sucked’ and ‘Democrat media could have done more to elect her’ appeared first on The Duran.

Real election meddling: California millionaires doing everything in their power to win a Georgia district election. The post Michael Moore epic meltdown after Democrat “Wonder Boy” Jon Ossoff loses in Georgia appeared first on The Duran.

The headline in one Russian paper today: "The conflict between Russia and America is only just beginning." Today's video press review. pic.twitter.com/tja3wgtJhU — Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) June 21, 2017

NOTE: NIH wants to tamp down "vaccine hesitancy" because Americans should simply not questions the total safety and efficacy of their magic. That is all. By Anne Dachel May, 2017, NIH: Teaching children about immunization in a digital age We...

Progressive thought... *Antarctica* (WaPo) "Antarctic sea ice hit 35-year record high Saturday." As one could predict without reading the article, the *Washington Post* (progressive publication) attributes the expanding sea ice to...wait for it..."Global Warming". The article cites suspicious vortexes as the potential cause even while predicting that the ice will melt, seas will rise, etc. To assert anything else would be to reveal themselves as "climate deniers", repudiating "settled science". (h/t John D. for putting me onto this) *Oh, Canada!* Canadian law panders to fringe p...more »

*Globe And Mail*: *Canadian elite special forces sniper makes record-breaking kill shot in Iraq* A sniper with Canada's elite special forces in Iraq has shattered the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in military history at a staggering distance of 3,450 metres. Sources say a member of Joint Task Force 2 killed an Islamic State insurgent with a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle while firing from a high-rise during an operation that took place within the last month in Iraq. It took under 10 seconds to hit the target. "The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [Isla...more »

LBC report that 'Sadiq Khan Backs Amnesty On Grenfell Tower Illegal Immigrants The Mayor of London has called on the government to ensure any illegal immigrants who lived in Grenfell Tower to be protected.' Apparently: 'Sadiq Khan has told LBC that he is backing a complete amnesty. He said: "No action must be taken against anybody in Grenfell Tower who comes forward. "There may be some people who are sub-letting, breaching their tenancy agreement. "There may be people who have got friends and family visiting, who they are worried about if they report them because they haven't go...more »

*Paul R. Pillar* *Saudi Arabia, Middle East* A foreign country may be a problematic partner for the United States for two basic types of reasons, both of which apply to Saudi Arabia. First, the partner’s foreign policies may range from misguided to immoral, or risk sucking the United States into conflicts in which it is not, or should not be, a party. Saudi Arabia’s calamitous war in Yemen is currently the leading example of this sort of problem, More recently has come the economic and diplomatic offensive against Qatar, which threw a wrench into the Trump administration’s asp...more »

President Donald Trump is shown in an official White House handout image meeting with his National Security team and being briefed by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford via secure video teleconference after a missile strike on Syria while inside the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility at his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. April 6, 2017. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated that this image has been digitally edited for security purposes when he released the photo via Twitter on April 7, 2017. The White House/Handout v...more »

The claim that a text challenges present understanding is irrelevant. Neither have a monopoly on truth but are attempts to describe faithfully an understanding to which we need to become sympathetic. The second problem is that marriage between a master race and a subjected race must be between two races of humanity. At best this involved human giants for which we have archeological evidence. None of this produces the Nephilim who are surely an alien life form plausibly responsible fior the rise of man. Again we have convincing archeological evidence in Peru. I have little ...more »

It is actually a good time to think about this. The fundamental problem with Bitcoin is that the rules can be changed. This happens all the time in the securities business producing massive losses. From my perspective it is actually only a matter of time. Lawyers are not paid to preserve the status quo but to turn things to the advantage of his client. Thus every lawyer out there is scheming to print bitcoins at no cost. Getting past that problem and it becomes a store of value in the same way Gold is. What makes gold work is how hard it is to produce. That still might cha...more »

In case you have not noticed. the number of events has increased dramatically over the past two years. Obviously this is intended because it all demands money. This how fascism arose back in the day along with Communism itself. Countering it means finding the money and really going after them. Soras in particular is not shy in the types he funds either. It is also obvious that the mainstream media is also funded as well. Tying it all together is necessary but the counter attack is now. That means teating activists as an enemy and draining hem of information.. *Mainstr...more »

What i have learned from much effort is that every scrap of evidence needs to be viewed by every possible educated eyeball and that no eyeball should be held in extreme repute. This allows the creation of a set of reports that should ultimately exceed two dozen. Then it is also possible to define a set of what i have called conforming data. Even better each eyeball sees a generalized image but then hones in on a particular aspect. In this item i observe that the theology thinks man is responsible for his destiny. Rather an important question when we see ample evidence that ou...more »

*7 News/AFP:* *New East Ukraine ceasefire set for Saturday: separatists* Kiev (AFP) - A fresh ceasefire between pro-Russian separatists entrenched in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian forces will come into force this weekend, Ukraine and the separatists said Wednesday. The truce, set to start at midnight local time on Saturday, was agreed at a meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine attended by the separatists, said spokeswoman Viktoria Talakina. The Contact Group is made up of representatives from Kiev, Moscow and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). "The...more »

Paul Craig Roberts: Another Step Toward Devastating War by Paul Craig Roberts, http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/ This is your site. Support it. An idiot American pilot shot down a Syrian fighter that was attacking ISIS, thus confirming that Washington is not fighting ISIS, as Washington claims, but is protecting ISIS, its agent sent to Syria by Obama and Hillary […]

Published on Jun 21, 2017 US President Donald Trump has only worsened the situation in Syria and has put his country on a path towards military conflict with Russia and Iran, says an American analyst. end

Published on Jun 20, 2017 Israel has stepped up its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank. Data released by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics shows construction of settler units in the area soared by 70-percent between April 20-16 and March 20-17. Israeli watchdog “Peace Now” says the settlement boom comes as there has been […]

Delingpole: The Pause in Global Warming Is Real, Admits Climategate Scientist by JAMES DELINGPOLE, http://www.breitbart.com/ The ‘Pause’ in global warming is real and the computer models predicting dramatically increased temperatures have failed. – This is the shocking admission of a paper published this week in Nature Geoscience. It’s shocking because the paper’s lead author is none other than Ben […]

After Shocking Saudi Shakeup “Not A Question Of If But When New Escalation With Iran Starts” by Tyler Durden, http://www.zerohedge.com Two days ago, when reporting on the surprising “terrorist attempt” by Iran’s National Guard on a major Saudi offshore oilfiled (at least according to Saudi media), we said that “if the Saudi account of events […]

Published on Jun 21, 2017 Questions are mounting over the true mission of the US in the Syrian conflict after the US shot down several Syrian planes including two Iranian-built drones. Former Pentagon official Michael Maloof and former CIA officer Ray McGovern join RT America’s Natasha Sweatte to discuss the heightened tensions in the region […]

Published on Jun 21, 2017 Increasing U.S. military strikes against Assad-allied forces in Syria threaten to undermine the fight against ISIS and spark direct conflict with Russia and Iran, says Ben Norton of Alternet’s Grayzone Project. end

Published on Jun 21, 2017 Tensions between US and Russia continue to escalate, from NATO encroachment on Russia’s borders to US belligerence in Syria. Daniel Kovalik, professor of international human rights, joins RT America’s Natasha Sweatte to discuss the flimsiness of “Russiagate” claims and how they originated in Clinton’s search for a scapegoat to explain […]

Published on Jun 20, 2017 In this wide-ranging exclusive interview, former intelligence analyst turned whistleblower Edward Snowden tells all. What to say to those who argue that they’ve got nothing to hide so nothing to fear from the intrusive ears of the state? Snowden is engagingly philosophical yet frank about his current position and where […]

Pentagon Warns Russia for ‘Unsafe’ Intercept of US Spy Plane Over Baltic Sea by SOFIA PETKAR, http://www.express.co.uk/ THE US has issued a warning to Russia after a fighter jet flew within five feet of a US Air Force reconnaissance plane in an “unsafe” manner over the Baltic Sea. – The near-miss occurred over international waters on Monday, […]

Is SUPERVOLCANO Which Could Wipe USA Off the Map about to Erupt in Yellowstone Park? by SEAN MARTIN, http://www.express.co.uk/ HUNDREDS of earthquakes recorded at the Yellowstone supervolcano in less than a week has sparked fears that the huge caldera is set to erupt in cataclysmic fashion. – More than 500 tremors have rocked the Wyoming-based volcano in […]

Crisis On The Horizon: Will It Be Economic Collapse? Global Civil Unrest? War? We Won’t Have To Guess Much Longer … by Jeremiah Johnson, June 20th, 2017, SHTFplan.com “Never let a crisis go to waste.” -Rahm Emmanuel The algorithm is simple: Governments coerce their pet monkeys to pay taxes into the system – the self-perpetuating machine – and thereby […]

If The U.S. Continues To Creep Toward World War 3, Eventually It Is Going To Happen by Michael Snyder, http://endoftheamericandream.com/ After a bit of a lull for the past couple of months, the march toward war appears to be accelerating once again. On Monday the U.S. military shot down yet another Syrian aircraft, and it appears that […]

*Verlinde has already joined the community of fraudulent pseudoscientists who keep on "working" on something they must know to be complete rubbish* In the text Researchers Check Space-Time to See if It’s Made of Quantum Bits, the Quanta Magazine describes a fresh paper by Kris Pardo (Princeton U.) Testing Emergent Gravity with Isolated Dwarf Galaxies which tested some 2016 dark matter "application" of Erik Verlinde's completely wrong "entropic gravity" meme. Verlinde has irrationally linked his "entropic gravity" meme with some phenomenological, parameter-free fit for the behavior o...more »

The destruction of the Great Mosque of Mosul points to the continued survival of ISIS leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and to his determination that the mosque where he declared himself Caliph should not fall into the hands of apostates. The post ISIS destroys Great Mosque of Mosul; ISIS leader probably still alive appeared first on The Duran.

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:30 A.M.) – The Australian regime resumed its bombing campaign in Syria, Thursday, after a 48 hour suspension of military operations in the Levantine country. Initially, Australia suspended its bombing campaign following the downing of a Syrian Su-22 jet in the western countryside of the Al-Raqqa Governorate, as the Canberra regime feared for […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:20 A.M.) – The Islamic State (ISIL) launched a surprise offensive in the western countryside of Al-Raqqa, Wednesday, in a new bid to cutoff the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from their only supply line to the key town of Resafa. However, the ISIL offensive would not go as planned, as Syrian Army scouts […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

(TASS) The removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is no longer a priority in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis, as it is necessary to focus on the fight against terrorism, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with a number of European newspapers. “I no longer view Assad’s removal as a precondition […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:40 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) resumed their large-scale offensive in the eastern part of Damascus, Wednesday, targeting the territory controlled by the jihadist rebels in Jobar and ‘Ayn Tarma. Led by the 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard, the Syrian Arab Army managed to advance inside the Taybah sector of […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (4:25 A.M.) – Rebel forces operating in southern Syria are coming under increasing pressure by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) as the latter tries to drive the former across the border in a bid to eliminate an opposition pocket spanning across eastern Sweida, Rif Dimashq and southeastern Homs. Footage has now emerged of […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

(TASS) The appointment of Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince marks “the logical conclusion of the period of changes in the highest levels of the country’s government,” Lebanese expert on inter-Arab relations Nidal Sabi told TASS on Wednesday. “It is obvious that King Salman’s decision to appoint his son as a crown […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

*RT:** Moscow cancels meeting with top US diplomat over new sanctions batch* Russia has condemned the new round of US sanctions as a “continuation of the trend set by the Obama administration aimed at ruining relations between our countries” and has promptly canceled a scheduled meeting of senior Russian and American diplomats. The US Treasury expanded the sanction list on Tuesday, adding 38 individuals and organizations over alleged Russian involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. Russia vowed to undertake “practical retaliatory measures” over the sanctions and canceled a scheduled ...more »

F-22 *Washington Examiner: **Air Force gives House classified report on restarting F-22 program* The Air Force has provided the House a classified report on restarting the F-22 Raptor fighter jet program, congressional staff said Tuesday. The House Armed Services Committee received the report two days ago, but staff said it was still being reviewed. House lawmakers ordered the report last year to determine what it would take and how much it might cost to begin producing the high-tech, fifth generation aircraft again. *Read more *.... *WNU Editor*: The report is classified .... bu...more »

A case can be made that Joe Crowley is the most corrupt Democrat in Congress. Here at *DWT* we’ve been making that case for years. Pelosi and Hoyer were able to pull some strings for him when he was looking like a goner in front of the House Ethics Committee and do a prisoner exchange-- a whole pack of corrupt Republicans in return for Crowley. Crowley is a Rahm-like bag man for the New Dems whose modus operandi is basically to go to corporate lobbyists and agree to get progressive legislation buried or watered down in return for the pay-offs that have led to inside-the-caucus pol...more »

The State University of New York at Albany has tapped a prominent Latino administrator to lead the state institution. Dr. Havidán Rodríguez becomes the first Hispanic president of any SUNY four-year college.

French President Emmanuel Macron signals abandonment of regime change policy saying removal of President Assad from power is no longer France's "priority" which will focus on working with Russia to defeat Jihadi terrorism instead. The post BREAKING: Macron abandons regime change in Syria; says ‘no legitimate successor’ to Assad appeared first on The Duran.

Tata group and Lockheed Martin executives sign the F-16 agreement. (Courtesy of Lockheed Martin) *CNN*: *Lockheed Martin says it will make F-16 fighter jets in India * One of the world's best-known fighter jets could soon be built in India. Lockheed Martin (LMT) said Monday that it will make its classic F-16 aircraft in the South Asian nation, if the Indian government grants it a contract to supply fighter jets to the country's air force. The U.S. firm will build the jets through a partnership with Indian industrial giant Tata, the companies announced at the Paris Air Show. Maryla...more »

HAVANA — Making good on his deal with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Florida), President Donald Trump announced Friday that he plans to roll back some of the steps Barack Obama took to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba. In 2015, Obama weakened restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba and... Read more »

Can artificial intelligence help us stop drowning in paperwork? Jiw Ingka/shutterstock.com We humans are swamped with text. It’s not just news and other timely information: Regular people are drowning in legal documents. The problem is so bad we mostly ignore it. Every time a person uses a store’s loyalty rewards card or connects to an online service, his or her activities are governed by the equivalent of hundreds of pages of legalese. Most people pay no attention to these massive documents, often labeled “terms of service,” “user agreement” or “privacy policy.” These are just par...more »

*Sean J. Casey* - Our society took a major turn for the worse with the prohibition of marijuana at the behest of the energy industry. The post A Brief History of Cannabis and Hemp Prohibition appeared first on Waking Times.

*Phillip Schneider* - The race is on to protect cannabis seed from the world’s most hated company. The post Monsanto and Bayer are Maneuvering to Take Over the Cannabis Industry appeared first on Waking Times.

I've never been much of a writer (let alone one of my father's caliber), but I know that I must express my thanks to you all somehow. The support that we have received over these past few months has been more than I would have ever thought possible. A few weeks before my father passed away, he heard about the GoFundMe page (that our dear friend A.J. Ellis took it upon himself to set up) reaching $10,000 in his support. He said, "I didn't know that many people cared." I think he knew, though. He was unrelentingly humble about his accomplishments -- sometimes to a fault. But that's on...more »

The private student loan company executive selected to head the Federal Student Aid agency (FSA) is affiliated with a company that a federal judge recently described as “very aggressive” about fighting efforts to discharge student loans, court records obtained by Diverse show.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Aspiring Missouri college police officers will face the same training as other future cops under a bill signed by the governor. Republican Gov. Eric Greitens on Tuesday signed the legislation. Current law calls for at least 320 hours of training for college police compared to at least 470 hours for most […]

It is now that time of year when I am enjoying the Nantucket Film Festival. My wife and I today saw The Big Sick. Despite the not very enticing title, we loved it. The film is based on the real-life romance of the two screen writers, emphasizing the difficulty of bridging cross-cultural expectations. It is more heartfelt than a standard rom-com, more comedic than a drama, more earnest than standard Hollywood fare. Most definitely recommended, especially for a date night.

*Dave Majumdar* *Security, * So what happenned? And who would win in a dog fight? *The final operational version of the F-23 would have offered much better range than the Raptor—especially at supersonic speeds—especially if powered by the YF120. That would have come in handy over the Pacific. It would also have been stealthier and it would have been almost as maneuverable as the Raptor—or possibly more so at different speeds and altitudes.* In 1991, Lockheed won the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition and went on to develop the stealthy world beating F-22 Raptor air supe...more »

*The Guardian:* *World population to hit 8bn in 2023, says new UN survey* New findings show more men than women and that there will be 1bn over-60s next year for the first time The world’s population will break through the 8 billion mark in 2023, there are more men than women, and next year the number of over 60s will top 1 billion for the first time, according to the latest findings and forecasts from the United Nations annual population survey. More than half of the global population growth by 2050 will come from sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates will persist at levels f...more »

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I've been 'around' for a few years now, pursuing the shifting goal of a sharable home-made surfers resource site focused on ease of use and variety of mostly adult ( whoa : I didn't say prurient ) content.